Vox has hosted monthly birthday parties for residents of Posada Esperanza, a local housing program for immigrant women and children. If you or your midweek group is interested, please email us.
Last weekend Vox hosted yet another birthday party for moms and kids at Posada Esperanza, one of our local partners and a transitional home for immigrant women and children in Austin. These parties have become a part of our rhythm for the past year as part of our commitment to partner with Posada.
This was not my first party to attend or host, so I had prepared my mid-week group with expectations. It would be crazy, there would be a lot of kids, we would need energy and games and activities to keep them engaged. We planned for food. Lots of food. And a really big piñata.
When we arrived Sunday afternoon and the house was calm. A calm before the storm, perhaps? But it stayed calm. There were only two families home with maybe six kids and five of us from Vox. Three of the four July birthday celebrants were not there.
This took us by surprise. We waited for a while, expecting a wild rumpus to descend upon us at any moment. But that didn’t happen.
Instead the party centered around one family and one mom, who had just given birth to her 5 child a few months ago. It was her birthday this July and all her children were there to celebrate with her. One of her daughters who is just about the spunkiest four year-old you will ever meet continued to tell everyone that it was her mom’s birthday this month. “Is this party for my mom? It is her birthday this month. It’s her party!” She was so excited. A party just for her mom. I’m pretty sure she opened and re-wrapped her mom’s present about five times, so eager for her mom to see it.
We ate, sang happy birthday, the kids tore apart the piñata and then a few of them played in the sprinkler we brought over. Then we left. It was a small and relatively quiet party. As quiet as 6 rambunctious kids can be. With decorations and food and cupcakes and the biggest piñata I’ve ever seen. All for one mother who devotes everything she has to her children. One mother who probably has not had a party for herself in a long time.
This may have been the smallest turn out for a birthday party at Posada Esperanza since we began, but I have to say, I think it was my favorite.
Happy Birthday to all the moms and children at Posada.
[Written by Evan Wilson]
[Photo by Gideon Tsang @ Flickr]